Township & Village (T&V), the Stellenbosch social enterprise connecting travellers with community-led experiences, was awarded global silver in the Peace, Understanding & Inclusivity category at the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, sponsored by London travel-technology company Sabre, in London on Monday 3 November.
The award follows its gold win at WTM Africa in Cape Town in April. T&V is a community-based tourism initiative in Stellenbosch that co-creates and delivers experiences led by local residents, from heritage walks and storytelling evenings to home dining, music and craft.
The model prioritises dignity, ownership and fair economics for community partners and aligns with global responsible-tourism standards.
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The recent recognition caps a breakthrough year in which T&V has channelled more than R1 000 000 in cash payments directly to local community partners – guides, hosts, cooks, artists and other entrepreneurs – through paid bookings and donations from guests, T&V and its partners.
“This award belongs to the people who make the experiences – our guides, hosts, cooks, musicians and storytellers,” said René Momberg, T&V head of growth, experiences and partnerships.
“The global silver recognises a consistent, collective effort by our community entrepreneurs, the Greater Stellenbosch Trust (GST) and other strategic partners that powers the work we do.”
Emeritus Professor Harold Goodwin, chairperson of the judging panel and founder of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), said responsible tourism is about making better places for people to live in and visit. “All the Global Responsible Tourism Award winners have explained what they took responsibility for, what they did and with what impact. We hope they will inspire other organisations to follow in their footsteps.”
PARTNERSHIP BOOST
The trust is T&V’s sole shareholder and long-term backer. Leana Kotze, head of strategy and implementation at GST, said: “Our model for T&V is simple: co-create with communities, keep the economics fair and sell to the right buyers.”
Annemie Liebenberg, CEO of Visit Stellenbosch, added: “T&V proves that responsible tourism isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’; it’s a powerful economic engine that creates dignity, ownership and sustainable livelihood.
“As Stellenbosch’s tourism offering expands, T&V gives us the blueprint for ensuring that growth serves everyone, from the storytellers of Khayamandi to the artisans of Ida’s Valley. The T&V enterprise creates pathways to prosperity that honour our communities’ heritage while providing unique, enriching visitor experiences. That’s community tourism leadership at its finest!”
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
None of these accolades would be possible without the community partners across Khayamandi, Ida’s Valley, Kylemore, Pniël and Jamestown, the entrepreneurs who open their communities and homes, share their stories and co-own the experiences.
T&V also acknowledged its current and historic strategic partners whose patronage makes inclusive tourism work: the GST, Cause Development Agency, Visit Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands District Municipality, Stellenbosch Municipality, the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism and Old Mutual Foundation.
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